The Feb. 25 Ask Me Anything (AMA) session highlighted the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF), its mission, programs, and trustee openings. Moderated by NCRF Chair-Elect Meredith Bonn, RPR, the panel featured NCRF Chair Douglas Friend, FAPR, RDR, CRR (Ret.); Rich Germosen, FAPR, RDR, CRR; past NCRF Chair Tami Keenan, FAPR, RPR, CPE; Sandy Narup, RPR; Pat Graves, FAPR, RDR, CRR; and NCRF Manager Jill Parker Landsman.
NCRF: Supporting Court Reporters and Captioners
Celebrating 20 years of Angel Donors, NCRF provides scholarships, grants, and resources to support students, working reporters, and CART captioners. Donations are tax-deductible and fund initiatives such as mental health webinars, disaster relief, and mentoring programs.
Friend emphasized NCRF’s commitment to lifelong member engagement. “We aim to support our community from cradle to retirement through education, financial aid, and emergency assistance,” Friend said. “We have really decided that we are going to support people. If you look at our strategic plan, we are creating value. For working reporters, we sponsor mental health webinars. And we have natural disaster funds. We are working to help the students.”
Keenan clarified NCRF’s role. “While NCRA handles certification and advocacy, the Foundation is the profession’s philanthropic arm focused on giving back,” she said.
Scholarships, Grants, and Disaster Relief
Narup announced the Foundation’s increased scholarships and grants, including:
- Gina Battaglia Memorial Student Intern Scholarship
- Monyeen Black & Michelle Grimes Memorial Grants
- Stenograph’s Milton H. Wright Memorial Scholarship
- Court to CART Grant
- New Reporter & Student Intern Scholarships
See the full list of scholarships and grants.
Germosen highlighted NCRF’s Natural Disaster Relief Fund which provides aid to NCRA members affected by hurricanes, wildfires, and other crises.
Veterans History Project and Court to CART
Landsman discussed NCRF’s long-standing partnership with the Library of Congress Veterans History Project which preserves veterans’ stories through court reporter transcripts.
Graves introduced the Court to CART Grant which helps reporters transition to CART captioning through structured mentorship and hands-on training.
NCRF Trustee Openings
Applications are open for three NCRF Trustee positions — an opportunity to guide the Foundation’s future. NCRF invites passionate professionals to join its 2025-2026 Board of Trustees. Learn more and apply.
Watch the full Ask Me Anything about NCRF video.
Next up in the Ask Me Anything series:
- March 13: Ask Me Anything about Career Launcher
- April 12: Ask Me Anything Eclipse Vendor Training (special Saturday session, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Eastern)
- April 29: Ask Me Anything about the NCRA Conference & Expo in Minneapolis
For details, visit NCRA.org/Foundation or email Jill Parker Landsman at jlandsman@ncra.org.
